After offering a simplified and cheaper version of
Windows XP for sale in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, Microsoft
has decided to do the same in Russia.
The Russian version of Windows XP Starter Edition will be
available early next year. Microsoft also said it would be
announcing the availability of Windows XP for first-time PC users
in a fifth emerging technology market.
XP Starter Edition is part of Microsoft's efforts to take on the
growing threat of Linux and the piracy common in developing
markets. The cheaper version of Microsoft's flagship operating
system offers localised support and customisation options,
preconfigured settings and simplified task management.
The starter OS does not support home networking, printer
sharing across a network or multiple user accounts on a single PC.
It also limits the number of applications that can run at one time
to three. Analysts at Gartner have dismissed the OS, saying it
fails to meet the most basic needs of users.
Microsoft has identified emerging markets as a major sales
opportunity partly because PC penetration in those countries is
low. In the US about 60% of households have a PC, in Western Europe
about 30%, but in India the figure is below 2%, while Russia and
China are below 5%.
Microsoft plans to study user reaction to XP Starter Edition
over a 12-month period and assess feedback from industry partners
and participating governments. After the 12-month pilot, Starter
Edition may be offered in additional markets.
Joris Evers writes for IDG News Service